Head-to-head · US DCA
River vs Coinbase
All-in cost to buy Bitcoin on a weekly schedule for 1 year — fees, estimated spread, and modeled custody. Network miner fees excluded.
Fee data last verified 2026-10-15 (ET). Methodology.
At $100/week for 1 year, River wins on cost — about $102.48 less than Coinbase ($1.00 vs $103.48).
Ranked by modeled all-in cost only — not custody preference, UX, or future affiliate relationships.
All-in at $25 / $100 / $500 weekly
Each scenario is 52 weekly buys (1 year). Same fee inputs; only the weekly dollar amount changes.
| Weekly DCA | River all-in | Coinbase all-in | Winner | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25/wk $1,300.00 invested | $0.25 0.02% | $25.87 1.99% | River | $25.62 |
| $100/wk $5,200.00 invested | $1.00 0.02% | $103.48 1.99% | River | $102.48 |
| $500/wk $26,000.00 invested | $5.00 0.02% | $517.40 1.99% | River | $512.40 |
Breakdown at $100 / week
River
Weekly recurring buys — zero fee from 2nd order; assume free monthly withdraw.
$1.00
0.02% of $5,200.00 invested
- Buy fees: $1.00
- Spread (estimate): $0.00
- Custody (modeled): $0.00
Coinbase
Simple/recurring buy path (retail default) — fee+spread ESTIMATED from public disclosures.
$103.48
1.99% of $5,200.00 invested
- Buy fees: $77.48
- Spread (estimate): $26.00
- Custody (modeled): $0.00
River sources
Last verified 2026-10-15 (ET)
- River fees help article · accessed 2026-10-15
- River Proof of Reserves · accessed 2026-10-15
River may include a spread on priced orders; size not publicly fixed — marked estimate 0% for free recurring path until measured.
Coinbase sources
Last verified 2026-10-15 (ET)
- Coinbase pricing & fees disclosures · accessed 2026-10-15
- Coinbase Advanced fees · accessed 2026-10-15
Coinbase no longer publishes a fixed Simple Buy % — shown at order preview. 1.49% + ~0.5% spread is an ESTIMATE for small ACH buys; verify in-app. Advanced Trade can be cheaper.
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